Pitt Basketball begins tonight against Gannon at 7 P.M. That being said now is as good a time as any to take a look back on some of the greatest Pitt teams of all time.
Pittsburgh has always been a football first city, starting with the Steelers and branching out to the University of Pittsburgh. Greats like Tony Dorsett, Dan Marino, Darrelle Revis, and Larry Fitzgerald have been symbols to the city’s football identity. However, basketball has not been completely swept under the rug. Pitt has produced some amazing times not only recently, but also all-time. Here is a look into the top five Pitt basketball teams of all-time.
Honorable Mentions:
2003-04: 31-5
This was Jamie Dixon’s first year at the helm and after losing Ben Howland to UCLA the AP Poll was not too high on the Panthers. But they proved to be drastically under ranked at 22 in the preseason polls when they climbed all the way to number 3. By the NCAA Tournament Pitt earned a three seed and went on to lose in the Sweet Sixteen to Oklahoma State.
1940-41: 13-6
How could the only Final Four team in Pitt history not be acknowledged on this list? It is true there were only eight teams in the entire tournament meaning they only needed one game to achieve this. However, a Final Four is still a Final Four no matter when it happened and that 26-20 Elite Eight victory of North Carolina will be remembered forever.
- 1973-74: 25-4
The 70’s were not great to the program as Pitt only made the Tournament one time in the decade. The one time they did though it was with one of the best Pitt squad’s of all time. They were guided by scoring machine Bill Knight who led the team at 21.8 points per game. They rose as high as number seven in AP polls after a 19 game win streak before eventually coming up short in the NCAA Tournament. What is a shame about their loss in the Elite Eight was that it came against a loaded NC State team, which went on to win the title. Maybe another Final Four could have been accomplished if they were on a different side of the bracket.
- 2002-03: 28-5
The last year of the Ben Howland era is one of the best in the program’s history. Climbing the AP ranks all the up to number two at one point, this team featured All-American point guard Brandon Knight. He was not alone though as five total players averaged over double figures scoring per game. Guys like Julius Page and Chevon Troutman helped guide Pitt to the school’s first ever Big East Championship. The season did not end there as they went on to earn a number two seed, but eventually fell to Marquette by three in the Sweet Sixteen.
- 1987-88: 24-7
For a long time this team was easily considered to be the best regular season team in Pitt history. Headlined by guys like Jerome Lane and Charles Smith the squad rose to number two in the AP polls, which was the highest ever for a Pitt team at the time. What makes them even more special was that they were competing in the dominant Big East of the 1980’s. After the regular season concluded Pitt was unable to make a run through March Madness, losing in the second round to seventh seed Vanderbilt 80-74. Who knows what coach Paul Evans’ legacy would be like if they won that game and continued on.
- 2010-11: 28-6
Jamie Dixon has done wonders somehow having under talented teams over achieve. The 2010 team was in every sense of the word a team. Ashton Gibbs headlined the squad averaging just at 16 points per game, while a guy like Brad Wanamaker did a little of everything on the court. The Panthers played stifling team defense all season long as they climbed as high as number two in the nation at a point. However, like many Pitt teams in the past they failed to live up to the hype after the regular season. Starting with Kemba Walker obliterating Gary McGhee’s ankles to win a Big East Tournament game. Then in March Pitt loss a stunner to eighth seeded Butler in the third round. What makes that loss even worse is that Nasir Robinson fouled a Butler player on the opposite side of the court sending him to the line for the win.
- 2008-09: 31-5
It really is an easy choice when you get right down to it. 2008 featured a star-studded lineup of Levance Fields, DeJaun Blair, and Sam Young. Those three powered Pitt to its’ first ever number one overall rank in the AP poll. This team was scary good at a point and it seemed as if they would break the program’s NCAA Tournament curse. After somewhat of scare against Tennessee State in the opening round they battled past both Oklahoma State and Xavier. But as all Pitt fans should know devastation soon followed by the name of Scottie Reynolds. Villanova and Pitt put on an instant classic, which concluded with Reynolds hitting a buzzer-beating floater after Fields had just tied it up at the free throw line. It is a shame that is how they went out.
Being a Pitt fan means dealing with some tough loses, never is it more evident than when you look at these five teams. What could have been is thought they each bring forth. Hopefully this season Dixon can regain some of his magic and bring us back to contender status, only time will tell.